handling baby chicks

[michelledrucker]

We are getting our first chicks this weekend. My kids are going to want to hold them. How much can they be handled at first and as they grow. Can you take them out of the warm brooder?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can take them out of the brooder because a mother hen takes her chicks out to show them food and water when a day or two old. She provides a hot spot for the chicks to warm up and then off into the cool air they go again. However, she doesn't handle them. It's best not to let small children handle very small chicks because they may hold them too tight or drop them. If you do allow it, supervise carefully.
As for the brooder, it's best to do it like a mother hen - a warm spot and lots of cool space.

 

[azygous]

Like Canoe says, be careful of letting toddlers handle the chicks. They tend to squeeze objects and that will damage a chick's delicate body. Other than that, handling chicks gently is not harmful and they can survive just fine out of the brooder for a few minutes.

Remember, the heat guidelines are just that. Use them to calibrate the heat lamp, having the temp directly beneath around 90-95. There should be plenty of space for the chicks to cool down. People make the mistake of thinking chicks are like hamburger patties that need to be kept hot. They are more like lizards that warm up in the sun and then scurry on about their business. They are simply regulating their temperature using the heat lamp to do it. Overheating is far more dangerous than keeping the brooder on the cool side.

Watch the chicks. They will be scattered around the brooder if it's just right. If they aren't warm enough they will be crowded together in a pile directly beneath the lamp. That's your signal to lower the lamp so they get a bit more warmth.

 

[MrsHatz]

Also the more the chicks are handled (delicately) the more "domestic" they become, it's a great way to create a loving bond with the chicks.

This works especially well if your going to be having the chicks as pets; if your going to eventually use them for meat, may not be the best idea to bond

 

[michelledrucker]

Thanks so much. We plan to have the chickens as pets and want to have them bond with us. My kids are not very young (6 and 8) and they are very careful rule followers. And they are giant animal lovers. They have some experience with chicks. I was hoping they could hold and cuddle them lots, with supervision. I am so glad this is okay.